Having an accessible website means more than just complying with regulations – it’s also important for your users to be able to access and interact with your content in an easy and enjoyable way. Here are five easy ways to make your website more accessible:
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Add an obvious skip navigation link — Making it immediately clear to users that they can bypass the navigation menu can make all the difference when it comes to accessibility. Place this link at the top of the page so users with disabilities can immediately jump to the main content.
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Offer audio and video captions — Offering audio and video captions is one of the best ways to give everyone the chance to fully utilize your multimedia content. Captions not only help the hearing impaired, but can also aid other users, who prefer to read along with your videos and audio.
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Use alt text for images — Using alt text on all your images makes it easier for those with impaired vision to use your website. Providing a text description that is understandable will help all kinds of people access your images, while also being search-engine friendly.
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Choose a high-contrast color scheme — Many users have difficulty reading content on websites due to low contrast between the text and the background. Make sure that both the text and the background are sufficiently contrastive so the text can be easily read.
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Have a clearly marked search function — Adding a clearly marked and easy-to-spot search bar on the page will help individuals with limited vision, or those not familiar with your website, easily locate the search option.
Making your website more accessible can help improve accessibility and usability. Start by implementing the five tips above, and you’ll be well on your way to a more inclusive web experience for everyone.